BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






               SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                     Dede Alpert, Chair
                 1999-2000 Regular Session
                              

BILL NO:       SB 576
AUTHOR:        McPherson
INTRODUCED:    February 23, 1999
FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE: April 14, 1999
URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:  Nancy Anton


  SUMMARY  

This bill appropriates $140,000 from the General Fund for  
the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to  
prepare a long-term, multi-use strategic regional plan, as  
specified.

  BACKGROUND  

The Monterey Bay region contains a variety of higher  
education institutions, several of which focus on teaching  
foreign languages.  These institutions include Cabrillo  
College, CSUMB, University of California at Santa Cruz,  
Defense Language Institute, Naval Postgraduate Academy,  
Monterey Peninsula College, Hartnell College, Monterey  
Institute of International Studies and Gavilan College.

  ANALYSIS  

  This bill  appropriates, without regard to fiscal year,  
$140,000 from the General Fund to CSU to be allocated to  
CSUMB to prepare a "long-term, multi-use strategic regional  
plan", as specified.  The bill specifies that the plan  
identify ways in which collaborations among specified  
entities in the greater Monterey Bay area can meet certain  
needs to, ultimately, add value to the regional economy.   
The bill provides that, upon completion, copies of the plan  
be provided to (1) the local government committees of the  
Senate and Assembly, (2) the Coastal Commission and (3) the  
county boards of supervisors of Monterey, Santa Clara and  
Santa Cruz.

  STAFF COMMENTS  





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  1)   No Due Date  .  The bill does not specify a date by  
     which the strategic plan must be completed; should a  
     due date be included in the bill?  Staff recommends  
     the report be provided by January 1, 2003.  Further,  
     staff recommends that the bill be amended to revise  
     the distribution list for this report to include the  
     entire Legislature (rather than just the local  
     government committees), the California Postsecondary  
     Education Commission, the Superintendent of Public  
     Instruction and the stakeholders who are involved in  
     developing the plan.

  2)   Is this Bill Necessary  ?  It is not clear why CSU in  
     general, and the CSUMB in particular, need specific  
     statutory authorization to prepare this regional plan.  
      This plan could be undertaken without any special  
     legislative directive. 

  3)   Technical Amendments Needed  .  Staff recommends that  
     the following technical amendments be adopted:

     a)       On page 1, line 4, delete: "the Chancellor  
         of" and insert "the Trustees of".

     b)       On page 2, line 2, delete: ""the President  
         of".

     c)       On page 2, line 3, delete: "County" and,  
         instead, insert: " Bay".

     d)       On page 2, line 22, delete: "Santa Clara"  
         and, instead, insert: "San Benito".

  4)   Intent  .  Information from the author's office  
     indicates that the intent of this bill is (a) expand  
     foreign language teaching and learning at all grade  
     levels by using underutilized state resources and (b)  
     integrate existing "distance learning" infrastructure"  
     so all participating institutions can "talk" to each  
     other.  This is intended to be done by having CSU (as  
     delegated to CSUMB) coordinate and make available the  
     services of the several foreign language institutes in  
     the Monterey Tri-County area.  The bill, however, does  
     not make specific mention of foreign language  
     learning,  teaching, and use.  Staff recommends that  
     the bill be amended to more specifically reflect the  




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     author's intent. 

  SUPPORT  

None received

  OPPOSITION  

None received